Part 7 (1/2)
”'Twas the billiard room that made the minister hanker for a men's club.
That billiard room was the worry of his life. Old man Jotham Gale run it and had run it sence the Concord fight, in a way of speakin'. You remember his sign, maybe: 'Jotham W. Gale. Billiard, Pool, and Sipio Saloon. Cigars and Tobacco. Tonics and Pipes. Minors under Ten Years of Age not Admitted.' Jotham's customers was called, by the outsiders, 'the billiard-room gang.'
”The billiard room gang wa'n't the best folks in town, I'll own right up to that. Still, they wa'n't so turrible wicked. Jotham never sold rum, and he'd never allow no rows in his place. But, just the same, his saloon was reckoned a bad influence. Young men hadn't ought to go there--most of us said that. If there was a nicer place TO go, argues the minister, 'twould help the moral tone of the community consider'ble.
'Why not,' says he to Stingy Gabe, 'start a free club for men that'll make the billiard room look like the tail boat in a race?' And says Gabe: 'Bully! I'll do it.'”
Captain St.i.tt paused long enough to enjoy a chuckle all by himself.
Before he had quite finished his laugh, slow and reluctant steps were heard on the back platform and Issy appeared on the threshold. He was without the package, but did not look happy.
”Well, Is,” inquired the depot master, ”did you give the remains to the Major?”
”Yes, sir,” answered Issy.
”Did you tell him how the shockin' fatality happened? How the thing got broken?”
”Yes, sir, I told him.”
”What did he say? Didn't let his angry pa.s.sions rise, did he?”
”No-o; no, sir, he didn't rise nothin'. He didn't get mad neither. But you could see he felt pretty bad. Talked about 'old family gla.s.s' and 'priceless airloons' or some such. Said much as he regretted to, he should feel it no more'n justice to have somebody pay damages.”
”Humph!” Captain Sol looked very grave. ”Issy, I can see your finish.
You'll have to pay for somethin' that's priceless, and how are you goin'
to do that? 'Old family gla.s.s,' hey? Hum! And I thought I saw the label of a Boston store on that package.”
Obed Gott leaned forward eagerly.
”Is that Major Hardee you're talkin' about?” he asked.
”Yes, sir. He's the only Major we've got. Cap'ns are plenty as June bugs, but Majors and Gen'rals are scarce. Why?”
”Oh, nothin'. Only--” Mr. Gott muttered the remainder of the sentence under his breath. However, the depot master heard it and his eye twinkled.
”You're glad of it!” he exclaimed. ”Why, Obed! Major Cuthbertson Scott Hardee! I'm surprised. Better not let the women folks hear you say that.”
”Look here!” cried Captain St.i.tt, rather tartly, ”am I goin' to finish that yarn of mine or don't you want to hear it?”
”BEG your pardon, Bailey. Go on. The last thing you said was what Stingy Gabe said, and that was--”
CHAPTER III
”STINGY GABE”
”And that,” said Captain Bailey, mollified by the renewed interest of his listeners, ”was, 'Bully! I'll do it!'
”So he calls a meetin' of everybody interested, at his new house. About every respectable man in town was there, includin' me. Most of the billiard-room gang was there, likewise. Jotham, of course, wa'n't invited.
”Gabe calls the meetin' to order and the minister makes a speech tellin'